Certainty
by Lanx Borealis
Summary: Everything would be all right in the end. It had to be. Companion ficlet to 'Trust.'


**Since I got some pretty decent feedback on 'Trust,' I decided to make a companion fic. Though it is a companion fic to 'Trust,' you should be able to read it on it's own.**

**Just like 'Trust,' it's a bit AU...**

**Oh, and, SPOILERS FOR NOT WHAT HE SEEMS! THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls**

~~0~~0~~0~~

For once in her young life, Mabel was at lost for what to do.

Ever since the portal...ever since meeting Grandpa Stanley, well, everything's different now.

Not like difference was a bad thing, per say. Because even though Grunkle Stan had lied, even though the portal could have destroyed the universe...

Well, Grunkle Stan was still Grunkle Stan. As she had said before and will say a thousand times over; Grunkle Stan loved both her and Dipper. He would never intentionally hurt them. She knew that for a fact.

Though she felt no regret not hitting that button, no regret for reuniting her Grunkle with her Grandfather, she still didn't know how to mend the bond between Dipper and herself.

Ever since the incident, ever since the truth was revealed, Dipper has been acting...different. She didn't know how else to put it. There really wasn't any other way to put it, at least one that didn't completely scare her.

He was pulling away from her. There was a rift between them that seemed to be growing stronger, no matter what she did.

He was isolating himself from her. He would find excuses to not hang out anymore. The air between them, once filled with hearty laughs and jokes was dried up and arid. Awkward.

She didn't know how to talk to him anymore. Didn't know what noises to make to form into words to fix what had been broken.

It was a first for her. She had never encountered a problem that was impossible to fix. Even in the most grim situations, she knew she could count on her own abilities and Dipper...

Except Dipper was no longer Dipper. He was moody and angsty. And not in the good, hot way!

She didn't like letting her mind wander over these thoughts. Didn't enjoy the nightmares that came with them.

But she still didn't regret. Dipper had to come back around eventually...Right?

Of course he was! He was her brother. He'll come around. Eventually.

Mable stared blankly at the T.V in front of her. Her body was sunk deep in the worn couch. Though Ducktective usually entertained her, she was too lost in thought to actually pay attention. Her hands were folded neatly on her sweater, playing with the woven yarn a bit.

She honestly had no clue on how to fix this. No amount of glue and glitter would patch everything up.

She felt Waddles jump up and cuddle into her side, grunting happily. Absentmindedly, she rubbed the top of the pig's head.

Mabel blinked as a familiar shape passed in front of her. He was staring at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Or he was afraid of tripping. His hands were crammed deep into his pockets and his hat pulled low over his face.

"Hey bro-bro!" She called out, putting obvious fake cheer into her voice. "Ducktective's on. Wanna watch it with me?"

He paused at the doorway. Not even glancing back at her, he answered in an even tone, "No thanks." He stepped out of the room.

"Wait, where are ya going?" She called out again, less cheer in her voice. Hopping up, she ran out to follow him, causing Waddles to jump onto the floor with a snort.

He didn't turn back. "Just going out for a walk. I'll-I'll be back." His voice cracked slightly at the end.

Mabel glanced outside. Though the sun was still shining, it was obviously getting quite late in the day. Evening would be upon them soon.

"Are ya sure? I mean, we're going to eat dinner soon...well, soon-ish."

"I'll be back before then." He replied curtly.

"Oh...uh..." Mabel stammered as Dipper opened the door to the shack.

"Want me to come with you?" She asked. Well, more like begged, really. The fake cheer in her voice was as cheesy and plastic as ever.

"It's fine, Mabel. Go back to watching Ducktective. I kinda want to be alone right now anyways."

With that, Dipper left.

Mabel stared at the closed door. A good chunk of her...well, 99% of her told her to run out and follow him. Force noises through her vocal cords to form words that would close the rift between them. And normally, she would.

But something held her back. Something caused her to listen to that one percent.

She continued to stand there, in front of the door, frozen in place. Paralyzed.

Her bother's voice had been so...not exactly _cold_ per say.

But definitely not his own.

Sure, the per-pubescent cracking and high pitch sounded all the same, as it had been for a while now, but there was a certain _melancholy, _a certain kind of sadness that stiffened her muscles, made her hair stand on end, left her mounted to the spot.

There was something _wrong. _Her natural twin-senses were tingling, filling her with energy that told her to _move. _To chase after her brother and get everything sorted.

Finally, for what felt like forever, she shook herself out of her stupor. Feeling stupid by just standing and staring at a door for what- five minutes? She puffed out a small huff before berating herself mentally. Dashing to the door, she flung it open.

"DIPPER!" She called out, fake cheer and all. "STOP BEING A DUMB-DUMB AND COME BACK!"

There was no answer.

Pouting, she swung the door shut before hopping off the worn porch and onto the bright, green grass.

"DIPPER!" She called out again.

And once again, there was no answer.

Stroking her chin like a stereotypical villain, Mabel started speaking out loud to herself.

"Now, if I were a dork, where would I go?" She asked out loud to no one.

Glancing around briefly, she set off into the woods, determined to hunt her brother down. Its not like he would be all that far.

Pushing her way through bushes, stray branches, and tree roots, Mabel, for once, regretted wearing an extra-fuzzy sweater out. Gently untangling her sleeve from a very clingy bush branch, she struggled not getting caught on anything else.

And, of course, got caught up in branches three more times within the space of five minutes.

Muttering lowly under her breath, she paused to stare around the woods for any sign of her brother.

None were to be found.

"Well, I can't just give up!" She continued to herself out loud. "If he's not gonna make an effort, than I will. I'm going to go find Dipper, sort this out, and we'll be Mystery Twins all over again! Everything will be fine!"

Mable, just like her Grunkle Stan, was a very determined, very persistent girl. Whether it was about the cute waiter at the diner, sewing thousands of hand-made sweaters, or even fixing the rift between her and her brother, Mabel was nothing but determination and painfully stubborn for getting what she wanted.

Slipping her wonderful sweater over her head, Mabel tied it tightly around her waist.

"Let's get serious." She said, narrowing her eyes into slits, trying to look as serious as possible...

...before breaking into small giggles at her own actions. Shaking her head to get rid of the bubbling laughter, she started on her trek once again, determination in every step and breath.

She continued to march head-on into the woods, calling out Dipper's name as she went.

There was no answer.

Pouting, Mabel briefly wondered if Dipper was actually around, but simply ignoring her.

She quickly shook the idea from her mind. No matter how big the rift between them was, Mabel was sure that Dipper would _never _ignore her calls for him in a forest. Never in a million, trillion, bazillion years!

So she continued to search.

And continued to call.

And continued to get no response.

Leaning heavily on a tree, she lightly rubbed her throat with one hand as she picked brambles and leaves from the sweater tied around her waist. Calling out for so loud and for so long with no water left her throat sore and begging for water.

Staring up at the trees, Mabel was met with a darkening sky and a few, lonely stars blinking out for her.

Roving her eyes over the night sky, it took her a few minutes and briefly, she thought it was too early to find the constellation.

"There it is!" She cried out. Up above her, winking dimly in the setting sun, was the North star.

Part of her favorite constellation, The Big Dipper.

Staring up at the sky, Mabel let more memories wash over her.

How Dipper used to always give her the last slice of cake, or the last cookie.

How he always watched her back, sometimes even taking the blame on stuff he didn't do, covering for her.

How, though he didn't like it, helped with her crushes when asked (well, begged, sometimes...)

How they paired up with one another since coming to the strange and crazy town of Gravity Falls; Mystery Twins for life!

How he- he was always there for her...

Mable slipped down, curling up at the base of the tree.

How he always soothed her if she had terrible nightmares.

How he (usually) let her pick what show to watch.

Mabel fisted her skirt in her hands, watching without seeing her knuckles turn white from the pressure.

Dipper...

Dipper...

Dipper...

Mabel let out a small, cute sniff, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

She did not let them fall.

Standing up, she furiously rubbed her eyes.

Staring back up into the sky, she saw the bright mixture of orange and pinks were fading away into a deep and dark blue-black.

Leveling her gaze back to the forest, she huffed, squaring her shoulders with purpose.

She didn't care if she was thirsty. Didn't care if night was around the corner, waiting as patiently as a cat.

She was going to find Dipper.

She was going to drag him home.

She was going to fix the growing rift between them.

Because everything would be all right in the end.

She was certain of it.

~~0~~0~~0~~

**I feel like Mabel was OOC in this...but oh well.**

**I'm not sure if I'll do another fic in this...I don't know, universe? It's a bit AU...**

**I might write another, I might not. What do you guys think?**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading!**


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